Like most Americans, Oklahomans dread the consequences of traffic accidents, especially when people are injured or killed. The possibilities are even worse when pedestrians are involved. With the average car weighing a couple of tons, no pedestrian is safe from injury or death, especially if a vehicle is being driven anywhere near the speed limit. Unfortunately, a pedestrian in Shawnee was recently left with life-threatening injuries in a hit-and-run accident.
According to the Shawnee Police Department, the woman, whose age has not been revealed, was walking to a store when she was struck from behind around 7 p.m. The accident occurred on Harrison Avenue just north of Interstate 40.
According to a detective, witnesses say the driver of the early 1990s Chevy knew that he or she had hit someone because the car stopped momentarily before speeding away. The car was described as a white Chevy Lumina. It probably sustained damage to its hood and side.
The victim’s family has urged anyone with information on the car’s driver or whereabouts to come forward. The victim has apparently sustained a brain injury and has been kept in a medically induced coma ever since the accident.
Family members of the victim will have to wait until the driver is apprehended to see what criminal charges might be filed. In the mean time, they are continuing their vigil and hoping for the best possible outcome. Later, the family can conduct its own investigation with the assistance of private investigators, forensics experts and accident reconstruction specialists. They might also gather more witness accounts to determine how the car accident occurred and collect additional information about the driver involved.
Once apprehended, the driver could face civil litigation in addition to criminal charges. This will make the driver responsible for compensation to the victim or her family.
Source: KOCO, “Shawnee woman remains in coma after hit-and-run,” Kim Passoth, Feb. 6, 2015
